As an aside, our Benedictine retreat master is marvelous. Fr. Eugene Hensell of St. Meinrad Archabbey has a wonderful dry sense of humor and is an excellent teacher and preacher. He has been focusing on the parables and has certainly given us a new perspective on them.
Today's simple daily Mass had as the main celebrant Fr. Dan Melaba, a Nigerian priest who is the neighboring pastor of St. Peter Claver Church in Macon.
I want to make clear that as much as I am grateful for the restoration of the EF Mass and its gravitational pull on the OF Mass, that I love the OF Mass when celebrated as it should be, which unfortunately is not the case in so many places.
What struck me about the OF Mass today and Fr. Dan's marvelous liturgical style, if you will, is how elegant it can be even in its noble simplicity. I want to discuss the rite itself, not the music as I see that is another conundrum that is more difficult to rationally discuss with so many in the Church today.
Fr. Dan began the Introductory rite by using the Introductory Rite as it is meant to be. It is noble in its simplicity. He began with the Sign of the Cross, the simple greeting "The Lord be with you" and the opening statement, "Brothers, let us acknowledge our sins so as to prepare ourselves to celebrate the sacred mysteries." There were no banal introductory statements or explanations! Then there was a moment of silence, a variation on the Penitential Act, which includes the Kyrie and then the Collect. It was noble and elegant.
The downside, I believe to this reform of the Introductory rite that I never really like from the first time I heard it in the 1960's is, "let us call to mind our sins..." in its various expressions. Never in the Tridentine Rite is anyone asked to call to mind specific sins. Why start the Mass on a negative note and dwell on the list of sins that I'm calling to mind?
Would it not be better after the Greeting, for the priest to say, "Let us go to the altar of God, with the response, The God of our youthfulness, and then have silence and then the Penitential Act in its various options?
The Liturgy of the Word has always been my favorite part of the reform. When done properly it is marvelous. I have no suggestions for improvement, except for Solemn High Liturgies to have lectors who could chant the lessons. I personally like the Responsorial Psalm better than the Gradual, although I don't begrudge the latter.
The Liturgy of the Eucharist is fine the way it is even with the modern preparation prayers, although I would not have a hissy-fit if the older offertory prayers were recovered.
The only reform or recovery of the Tridentine Mass I would strongly, strongly, recommend for the Liturgy of the Eucharist is that it be celebrated Ad Orientem. Facing the people makes it look like the words of the prayers as well as the words of institution are being directed to the congregation. These simply aren't. Ad Orientem would make that clear and obvious and add the hermeneutic of liturgical continuity to this part of the Mass.
Of course, I recommend Holy Communion by intinction and kneeling. It is a no brainer. I have to thank the comment by WSquared who wrote that he agreed with me that liturgists who say that standing to receive is a better sign of the be raised up in Christ is "bull." He wrote that kneeling to receive Holy Communion and then standing to return to one's pew is a better sign of being raised up and I thought that was profound!
In terms of our retreat Mass today, I hope and pray that we will recover the propers in Gregorian Chant, either in Latin or English for the Introit, Offertory and Communion--we miss the boat on that and big time!
Finally, I have no problem with the Introductory Rite and Concluding Rite taking place at the chair. I find that elegant too.
The following video which I copy from The New Liturgical Movement shows the re-dedication and reconsecration of a monastic chapel that had been destroyed by fire.
It is the Ordinary Form of this Rite but borrows elements from the EF Rite for this, which I find interesting. Note the sand on the floor and the tracing of letters in it by with the crozier of the bishop--this I believe is EF not OF. I've never seen this in the OF consecration rite and also the bishop goes and anoints the walls by going on a ladder to do so, this again is EF in origin, not OF as in the OF, priests do this, not the bishop. The Anointing of the altar though is, OF, but the manner of installing the relics is EF. I'm not sure about how the incense is burned and why the bishop and all are kneeling, this could be EF influence too? Anyone know?
The OF Mass is celebrated Ad Orientem, and the people receive kneeling, although the nuns receive standing and from the chalice. I think that there is room now for either standing or kneeling and is not divisive to the liturgical assembly at all.
I would say this Mass is what to expect in "the reform of the reform within the hermeneutic of continuity with the EF Mass" in the near future, for the future is here now! Please note the mix of vernacular and Latin!
I absolutely love the architecture of this chapel, its art and the manner of the sanctuary even with the seating in front of it and to the sides in the transcept. I LOVE THIS!
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